



















































































































































' 




































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, 






















































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tOOtb Hnnivcrsavv 


OB' THE BIRTH OE 


Bbrabam ^Lincoln 


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to fork Snatttwttnn 



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PRIZE ESSAYS IN THE N. Y. TIMES 
LINCOLN COMPOSITION CONTEST \ \ 


v^* 



# 










TTENTION is most respectfully directed to the 
various designs which embellish this pamphlet* 


They are the unassisted work of pupils, and indicate the 
PRACTICAL VALUE of the INDUSTRIAL ART 


TRAINING here afforded* 



Principal. 

























' 


















































































XF.W YORK INSTITUTION FOR THE INSTRUCTION OF Till-: DEAF AND HUM 1< —Institution from the Southwest 








































tOOtb HnniversariP 


OE THE BIHTH OE 

Bbrabam Lincoln 


Cnmnmmmitiuf lExwrtsM 


a . r r THE 


Nrui fork Institution 

M 

tor t b e 

Instruction of the leaf mth lumb 


^ 


PRIZE ESSAYS IN THE N. Y. TIMES 
LINCOLN COMPOSITION CONTEST \ \ 






ABRAHAM LINCOLN 



man whose bomeh? face eou 
l oofc upon 

Mas one of IRature's masterful, 
great men, 

:fi3orn wltb strong amts, tbat unfougbt 
battles won; 

Direct of speech, and cunning wltb the 
pen. 

Cboseit for large Designs, be bad the art 

©f winning wltb bis buntor, and be went 

Straight to bis rnarft, wblcb was tbe 
human heart; 

Mlse, too, for wbat be could not brealt 
be bent, 

“Upon bis bach, a more than Btlas^load, 

Mben burden of tbe commonwealth, 
was laid; 

Be stooped, and rose up to It, though 
tbe road 

Shot suddenly downward, not a wblt dls^ 
maved. 

Bold, warriors, councilors, kings! Bll 
now give place 

Zo this dear benefactor of tbe race. 



















ABRAHAM LINCOLN 














FOREWORD 


HIS little pamphlet is published to give information of 
the results of the efforts made in this Institution, to 
uplift the deaf children of the Empire State, and, at 
the same time, to demonstrate a reduction of the handi¬ 
cap imposed by deafness to the degree that permits the deaf child to 
take part in the celebration of important events, with the same 
enthusiasm and the same benefit that accrues to the more fortunate 
hearing child. 

The first endeavor, in this city, to release the deaf child from his 
bondage, was made in 1816, by three gentlemen—namely, Rev. John 
Stanford, D.D., Samuel Ackerly, M.D., and Samuel E. Mitchell, 
M.D. Public interest was so aroused by meetings that, in the early 
Spring of 1817, the Society which controls this Institution was form¬ 
ed, with Honorable DeWitt Clinton as President. The Legislature 
granted incorporation on the 15th day of April, 1817. In May, 1818, 
the School was begun with four pupils. It was a Pure-Oral School. 
It was an Aural School. It was a Day School. After eleven 
years’ experience, it was found necessary to change to a broader 
Eclectic System and to become a boarding school, in order that 
the entire waking hours might be profitably employed and continuous 
effort be maintained. 

Four thousand three hundred and seventy-seven deaf children have 
been admitted as pupils, and have been raised to a condition of 






















6 


The Lincoln Centennial. 


self-respecting, self-supporting and self-respected members of the 
several communities in which they lived. Not more than four 
per cent of the graduates of this school have failed to earn a 
livelihood. The State has, therefore, received abundant compen¬ 
sation for the expenditure made for the education of this class of 
children, who in the great majority of cases have not enjoyed the 
inestimable privileges of heredity and environment. Thus it is that 
this occasion, the One Hundredth Anniversary of the birth of Abra¬ 
ham Lincoln, renders it peculiarly appropriate that attention should 
be directed to what has been accomplished for our deaf children, who, 
like Lincoln, have known and felt the restrictions and restraints of 
material deprivations. 

The factor which has added largely to the successful development 
of this class of children in our school, and which has made possible 
self-support immediately after graduation, has been the parallel course 
of trades teaching. 

This pamphlet is a specimen of the work of the pupil apprentices, 
and the other illustrations will indicate the opportunities here afford¬ 
ed the deaf child to prepare for the duties of citizenship. 


Principal. 













THE LINCOLN CENTENARY 


At the: Nmv York Institution for the Instruction of thf 

Dfaf and Dumb. 


HE centenary of the birth of Abraham Eincoln, six¬ 
teenth President of the United States, was observed 
at the Institution with appropriate ceremony and 
special literary exercises on the morning of Friday, 
February 12th, 1909. Pupils, teachers and officers, 
assembled in the Chapel at nine o’clock, when the official program, 
prepared by the Principal, was presented. It was delightfully 
original ; the work and thought of the pupils themselves, every 
grade being represented by one or more classes; the excellent 
and appropriate music supplied by the Institution band, which gave 
proof of being equal to the requirements of an important occasion 
by the perfect rendition of several musical numbers; and the 
character sketches by the several professors, which rounded out 
and completed attractive instruction, as well as profitable and pleasur¬ 
able entertainment. 










8 


The Lincoln Centennial. 


PROGRAMME 


Salute to the Colors —Music: “The Star-Spangled Banner” . . The Band 

Opening Address. The Principal 

Music : “ Praise God from Whom All Blessings Flow.”. The Band 

Art Sketches —“From the*Log Cabin to the White House”. 

. Fred. G. Fancher and William H. Aufo>t 

Graphic Illustrations of Incidents in Lincoln's Career —Gold¬ 
stein, Orman, Slialer, Ossman, Uhl, Muuss . .. 

. Miss Currier's Oral-Aural Class 

Music: “Onward, Christian Soldiers ”. The Band 


< < 


Our Country” 


1 


“ Was Lincoln King?” [■ . . . (Miss Berry’s Oral Class) 


< < 


f Wm. Burke 
. . -j M. Haberman 

Crowning Lincoln ” j | J. Livingston 

Quotations. Miss Hall's Fifth Oral Mixed 

“ O Why Should the Spirit of Mortal be Proud,” Recited in Signs by . . . 

. Miss A. E. Judge 

Recitation: “O Captain! My Captain ! ” (Miss Thomason’s Fifth Oral 

Class). Fannie Krumholz 

Music: “Nearer, My God, To Thee ”. The Band 

Narration: “ The Borrowed Book ” (Mr. Best’s Fifth Male) . . . C. Weirnutk 

Narration: “ Lincoln’s Kindness to a Little Girl ” (Sixth Oral) . . Miss Beir 

Narration: “ Lincoln and Booth ” (Seventh Manual). Win. Aufort 

Music: “Lead, Kindly Light”. The Band 

“Lincoln and the Slave” (Deaf-Blind). Ella Hopkins 

“ Original Conception of Mr. Lincoln”. Harry Barnes 

“ Case of Rev. Henry Luckett ” (Deaf-Blind). Catherine Pederson 

Poem : a. “ Hightide at Gettysburg ; ” b. “ Lincoln’s Gettysburg Ad¬ 
dress, ” Recited in Signs by. Mr. Win. G. Jones 

Music : “ Rock of Ages ” . . The Band 

Remarks. Messrs. Fox , Gardner 

Music: “The Double Eagle.”. The Band 

Remarks. Messrs. Burdick , Best 

Music: “Carmen.”. The Band 

Remarks. Messrs. Thomason, Jones 

Hymn : “America.”. The Band and The Choir 

Dismissal of the Colors. 


The Band. 



























The Lincoln Centennial. 


9 


S the colors were brought in, escorted by the color 
guard, the audience rose and stood at attention, while 
the band gave the “Star Spangled Banner,” with 
striking effect. Principal Currier then formally 
opened the exercises, addressing the assembly in 
these words :— 

“ I am not bound to win, but I am Bound To be True.” —Abraham Lincoln. 

What is this day? [Answered by several of the pupils.] 

Who was Abraham Lincoln ? [Numerous responses by the pupils.] 

Mr. Lincoln was so great a man and had so many presentable forms 
of greatness that it is difficult, in the brief time at my disposal, to 
present an entirety that will approximate in any degree a proper de¬ 
scription. The members of the staff of instruction have selected some 
few of the more prominent presentations of President Lincoln, with 
the recital of which they will endeavor to impress upon you somewhat 
of the grandeur of the man who successfully arranged and provided 
for the preservation of these United States, through years of supreme 
trial and tribulation. 

It will be my privilege, therefore, to call to your attention, through 
comparison, the possibilities for your success in life, if you will heed 
the example set forth by Abraham Lincoln. Of the comforts of life 
and opportunities for development of both mind and body possessed by 
you, he had none. His love of justice, purity, and kindness, proven 
by his numerous acts towards sorrowing, suffering humanity; his re¬ 
verence for God and his acknowledgment of his dependence upon the 
Almighty, in the which there was nothing of sectarian confines, make 
him the most striking example for Americans to copy that this coun¬ 
try has ever known. We should therefore study his life and char¬ 
acter as something, beyond all else, to be emulated in its sweetness, 
beauty and nobility—“ New birth of our new soil, the First Ameri¬ 
can.” 

For this, his example, we should be continuously thankful, and I 
am sure you can all unite in the phrasings of that grand hymn which 
sets forth in majestic sentences the homage due from all creatures to 
Almighty God— 

Praise God, from whom all blessings flow ; 

Praise hinr, all creatures here below ; 

Praise him, above, ye heavenly host; 

Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. 














NEW YORK INSTITUTION FOR THE INSTRUCTION OF THE DEAF AND DUMB. 
Lincoln’s Birthday Ceremonies —Sketch by William Aufort and Frederick G. Fancher. 















































The Lincoln Centennial. 


11 

The Principal called William H. Aufort and Frederick G. Fancher 
to the platform, to draw aside the curtain from the wall slates to show 
a series of six crayon sketches portraying Lincoln's progress from log 
cabin to the White House. The drawings, which were the work of 
these two young men, received merited applause. 

Immediately succeeding was a presentation of drawings by pupils 
of the Oral-Aural Class showing incidents connected with the life of 
Lincoln. The pictures were on cardboard held in front of the 
pupils, who, in speech, explained their significance :— 

Isadore —“ This is the house where Lincoln was born. The win¬ 
dow was made of paper.” 

James —“This is a map of Kentucky. Abraham Lincoln was 
born in Kentucky. It is in the South. Mr. Best lives in Ken¬ 
tucky.” 

John —“This is the shovel Lincoln did his arithmetic on. He 
wrote on this with some charcoal.” 

Carrie —“This is the hat Lincoln used for a post-office when he 
worked measuring land. He carried the letters in his hat, and gave 
them to the people as he went about measuring the land.” 

Earl —“ This is the pig that Lincoln pulled out of the mud, though 
he had his best clothes on and he did not want to get them soiled. 
He loved animals and he was always kind to them.” 

Frank —“ This is the umbrella Lincoln carried when he became a 
lawyer and moved to Springfield. It was a green cotton umbrella, 
with a piece of cord tied round the middle.” 

r‘' 

William Burke of Miss Berry’s third class recited orally :— 

FOR MY COUNTRY. 

I ought to love my country, 

The land in which I live ; 

Yes, I am very sure my heart 
Its truest love should give. 

P'or if I love my country 
I’ll try to be a man 

My country will be proud of, 

And if I try, I can. 



NEW YORK INSTITUTION FOR THE INSTRUCTION OF THE DEAF AND DUMB. 

School of Printing. 












































The Lincoln Centennial . 


l 3 


She wants men brave and noble, 

She needs men brave and kind, 

My country needs that I should be 
The Best Man she can find. 

Milton Haberinan of the same class next presented orally :— 


WAS LINCOLN KING? 

We talked of kings, little Ned and I, 

As we sat in the firelight’s glow, 

Of Alfred the Great in the days gone by, 
And his kingdom of long ago. 

Of Norman William, who, brave and stern, 
His armies to victory led. 

Then, after a pause, “ At school we learn 
Of another great man,” said Ned. 

” And this one was good to the oppressed, 
He was gentle and brave, and so 
Wasn’t he greater than all the rest? 

’Twas Abraham Lincoln, you know.” 

“ Was Lincoln a king?” I asked him then, 

And waiting for his reply 
A long procession of noble men 
Seemed to pass in the firelight by. 

When, ” No,” came slowly from little Ned, 
And thoughtfully ; then, with a start, 

” He wasn’t a king outside ,” he said, 

” But I think he was in his heart.” 



NEW YORK INSTITUTION FOR THE INSTRUCTION OF THE DEAF AND DUMB. 

Sign-Painting Classes. 
































The Lincoln Centennial. 


i5 


Placing a laurel wreath above the the portrait of Lincoln, John 
Livingstone recited these verses orally :— 

CROWNING LINCOLN. 

To-day I bring this laurel fair, 

For him our hero grand, 

For Lincoln’s name is dear to all, 

Throughout this whole broad laud. 

My evergreen I bring for him, 

His heart was true and brave, 

In all his work, in all his deeds, 

The best he always gave. 

Our country, strong and brave to-day, 

He joined in love and might. 

His praise we sing, his name we love ; 

His life was pure and right. 

And so this crown of evergreen, 

Is for our hero great, 

He saved our country—Freedom gave, 

O praise him, every State. 

Harry Barnes spoke extemporaneously as follows, on— 

LINCOLN AND THE PIG. 

Some men have hearts big enough to be kind to their fellowmen 
when they are in trouble, but not even to a dumb animal. Lincoln 
had a heart big enough for both. 

One morning, just after he had bought a new suit of clothes, he was 
driving to the courthouse, a number of miles distant. On the way he 
saw a pig trying to get out of a deep mud hole. The pig would get 
part of the way up and slide back in again, over his head in mire and 
water. Lincoln took a glance at his glossy new clothes, and could 
not spare them for the sake of any pig. So Lincoln drove on. 


i6 


The Lincoln Centennial . 


When lie got about two miles away, he thought of the poor pig. 
“Should I let that poor creature stay there to die?” So he drove 
back, got out and got a half dozen of fence rails. He put them near 
the edge of the ground and knelt down and grabbed the pig by the 
fore legs, pulled the pig out. The pig grunted out its best thanks. 
Lincoln, plastered with mud. but with a light heart, drove on to the 
courthouse. 

The pupils of Miss Hall’s Fifth Oral class contributed both orally 
and by manual spelling quotations on Lincoln, which were illustrated 
by large cards which formed the words— 

HONEST ABE. 

“ His constant thought was his country and how to save it.’’— Chas. 
Sumner. 

“ Our second Washington.”— Peterso?i. 

“ Never knew fear, except the fear of doing wrong.”— Ingersoll. 

“ Ever the plain, honest man, wise in action, pure of purpose.”— J. 

C. New. 

“ Step by step he walked before the people.”— Emerson. 

“The purest of men, the wisest of statesmen.”— Hoji. Charles Foster. 

“ A great man, tender of heart.”— Fred Doitglas. 

“By his fidelity to the True, the Right, the Good, he gained not 
only favor and applause, but what is better than all—love.”— 
W. D. Howells. 

“ Ever our own Lincoln.”— Bishop Potter. 

Miss Alice E. Judge gave a recitation of the poem which was a par¬ 
ticular favorite with Abraham Lincoln. It was a most pleasing ex¬ 
hibition of the graphic power of signs, when properly used, beautiful 
in expression and most touchingly rendered :— 

O, WHY SHOULD THE SPIRIT OF MORTAL BE PROUD 

O, why should the spirit of mortal be proud ? 

Like a swift-fleeting meteor, a fast-flying cloud, 

A flash of the lightning, a break of the wave, 

He passeth from life to his rest in the grave. 



NEW YORK INSTITUTION FOR THE INSTRUCTION OF Till-: DEAF AND DUMB—Dedicating the Class Ivy 




















The L in col 71 Ce n le7i 71 ia l . 


17 


The leaves of the oak and the willow shall fade, 

Be scattered around and together be laid; 

As the young and the old, the low and the high, 

Shall crumble to dust and together shall lie. 

The infant a mother attended and loved, 

The mother that infant’s affection who proved; 

The father that mother and infant who blest, 

Each, all, are away to that dwelling of rest. 

The maid on whose brow, on whose cheek, in whose eye, 
Shone beauty and pleasure,—her triumphs are by; 

And alike from the minds of the living erased, 

Are the memories of mortals who loved her and praised. 

The head of the king, that the scepter hath borne ; 

The brow of the priest, that the mitre hath worn, 

The eye of the sage, and the heart of the brave ; 

Are hidden and lost in the depths of the grave. 

The peasant, whose lot was to sow and to reap ; 

The herdsman, who climbed with his goats up the steep ; 
The beggar, who wandered in search of his bread,— 
Have faded away like the grass that we tread. 

The saint who enjoyed the communion of heaven, 

The sinner who dared to remain unforgiven, 

The wise and the foolish, the guilty and just, 

Have quietly mingled their bones in the dust. 

So the multitude goes, like the flower or the weed 
That withers away to let others succeed; 

So the multitude comes, even those we behold, 

To repeat every tale that has often been told. 

For we are the same that our fathers have been; 

We see the same sights that our fathers have seen ; 

We drink the same stream, we see the same sun, 

And run the same course our fathers have run. 


2 


i8 


The Lincoln Centennial . 


The thoughts we are thinking our fathers did think ; 

From the death we are shrinking, our fathers did shrink ; 
To the life we are clinging our fathers did cling ; 

But it speeds from us all, like the bird on the wing. 

They loved,—but the story we cannot unfold ; 

They scorned,—but the heart of the haughty is cold ; 

They grieved,—but no wail from their slumbers will come ; 
They joyed,—but the voice of their gladness is dumb. 

They died,—ah ! they died ; we things that are now, 

That walk on the turf that lies over their brow, 

And make in their dwelling a transient abode, 

Meet the things that they met on their pilgrimage road. 

Yea ! hope and despondency, pleasure and pain, 

Are mingled together in sunshine and rain : 

And the smile and the tear, and the song and the dirge, 
Still follow each other, like surge upon surge. 

’Tis the wink of an eye ; ’tis the draught of a breath 
From the blossom of health to the paleness of death, 

From the gilded saloon to the bier and the shroud ; 

O, Why should the spirit of mortal be proud ? 

— William Knox. 


From Miss Thomason’s Fifth Female, Fannie Krumholz gracefully 
recited Walt Whitman’s pathetic lines— 


O CAPTAIN ! MY CAPTAIN ! 

O Captain ! my Captain ! our fearful trip is done, 

The ship has weathered every rack, the prize we sought is won, 
The port is near, the bells I hear, the people all exulting, 

While follow eyes the steady keel, the vessel grim and daring; 
But O heart ! heart ! heart ! 

O the bleeding drops of red, 

Where on the deck my Captain lies, 

Fallen cold and dead. 


The Lincoln Centennial. 


19 


O Captain ! my Captain ! rise up and hear the bells ; 

Rise up for you the flag is fluug—for you the bugle trills, 

For you bouquets and ribboned wreaths—for you the shores a-crowd- 
ing 

For you they call, the swaying mass, their eager faces turniug ; 

Here Captain ! dear father ! 

This arm beneath your head ! 

It is some dream that on the deck 
You’ve fallen cold and dead. 

My Captain does not answer, his lips are pale and still, 

My father does not feel my arm, he has no pulse nor will, 

The ship is anchored safe and sound, its voyage closed and done, 
From fearful trip the victor ship conies in with object won ; 

Exult O shores, and ring O bells ! 

But I. with mournful tread, 

Walk the deck my Captain lies, 

Fallen cold and dead. 

This was followed by “ Nearer, My God, to Thee,” by the band, 
the audience—standing in reverent attention—the vibrating volume 
of this graud old hymn being felt as the sonorous strains of the brass 
instruments pealed forth the harmony. 

Ruby Beir, of Mr. Gardner’s Sixth Class, told the story of— 

LINCOLN'S KINDNESS TO A LITTLE GIRL. 

In the autumn of i860, a little girl living at Westfield, N. Y., by 
the name af Grace Bedell, wrote a letter to President-Elect Lincoln at 
Springfield, Illinois, telling him how old she was, where she lived, 
and that she thought he would make a good President but that he 
would be better looking if he would let his whiskers grow. She also 
suggested that he might have his little girl answer her letter if he did 
not have time to do it himself. In a few days she got this reply : 

Springfield, Illinois, October 19, i860. 

Miss Grace Bedell:— 

My Dear Little Miss: Your very agreeable letter of the 15th is received. I 
regret the necessity of saying I have no daughter. I have three sons—one seven¬ 
teen, one nine, and one seven years of age. They, with their mother, constitute 
my whole family. As to the whiskers, having never worn any, do you not think 
people would call it a silly piece of affectation if I were to begin it now? 

Your very sincere well-wisher, 

A. Lincoln. 



NEW YORK INSTITUTION FOR THE INSTRUCTION OF THE DEAF AND DUMB. 

Cabinet and Carpentry Class Room. « 












The Lincoln Centennial. 


2 1 

In February, i86t, when Lincoln was on his way to Washington to 
be inaugurated, lie stopped at the principal cities along the way, in 
order that he might speak upon the questions uppermost in the minds 
of the people. When the train left Cleveland, Ohio, Mr. Patterson, 
of Westfield, N. Y., was invited into Lincoln’s car, and Lincoln 
asked him if lie knew any one living at Westfield by the name of 
Bedell and then told of his correspondence with Grace. When the 
train reached Westfield, Lincoln spoke a few words from the platform 
to the people, and then said he would like to see Grace Bedell if she 
were there. The little girl came forward and Lincoln stepped down 
from the car and kissed her and said: “You see, Grace, I have let 
my whiskers grow for you.” 


William H Aufort, representing the Seventh Manual, narrated the 
following :— 


LINCOLN AND BOOTH. 

There is a log cabin still standing in Kentucky which looks like a 
stable. It was a rude affair, without any floor. In it there was no 
furniture except a table of some kind, a stool, aud a few simple things. 
In such Abraham Lincoln was born on February 12th, 1809. 

As he grew up he studied aud learned mostly by himself. He had 
no paper, pencils, nor other material for writing, so he wrote 011 a 
shovel with charcoal. He tried to improve himself in every way, and 
as we all know, rose to be President of the United States. His 
honesty, love of truth, and his kindness had much to do with his suc¬ 
cess, for the people knew and loved him as “ Honest Abe.” 

John Wilkes Booth was brilliant, very talented, and an actor of 
some repute. On April 14th, 1865, Lincoln attended a performance at 
Ford’s Theatre in Washington, by invitation. Before the President’s 
party arrived at the theatre, Booth had made plans to kill him. Presi¬ 
dent Lincoln saw the first act of the play, when Booth ran near the 
box where the President sat looking toward the stage, and shot him. 
Lincoln died the next day. After shooting Lincoln, Booth ran and 
jumped down to the stage, nearly fourteen feet, and escaped for the 
time being. However, he was tracked to a barn and shot dead. 

The sweet, measured strains of “Lead, Kindly Light,” impressed 
upon all assembled a depth of thought aud a devotion to the simple 
faith that supports in time of trial. 



NEW YORK INSTITUTION FOR THE INSTRUCTION OF THE DEAF AND'DUMB. 

Specimen Work in the School op Carpentry and Cabinet Work. 














































The Lincoln Centennial. 


23 


Klla Hopkins, of the Deaf-Blind Class, gave the story of— 


LINCOLN AND THE SLAVE TRADER. 

A certain slave trader, who had brought hundreds of poor negroes 
from Africa was captured, sentenced to a long term in prison and to 
pay a fine of one thousand dollars. His term was up, but he could 
not pay the fine. 

He interested some friends, who wrote to President Lincoln, telling 
him that the man deeply regretted his past life, and would never 
again enter the slave business. Lincoln read this letter and said: “ I 
believe that I am kindly enough in nature, and can be moved to pity 
and to pardon the perpetrator of almost the worst crime that any kind 
of man can conceive, or arm of man can execute. But any man, who 
for paltry gain, and stimulated only by avarice, can rob Africa of her 
children to sell into bondage, I never will pardon, and he may stay and 
rot in the jail before he will ever get relief from me. 


Another narration, by Catherine Pederson of the same class, was en¬ 
titled— 


THE CASE OF REV. HENRY LUCKETT. 

In the winter of 1863, a Mr. and Mrs. Bullett called on Daniel Vor- 
hees, a member of Congress, and asked to be taken to see President 
Lincoln. Mrs. Bullett’s father, Rev. Henry M. Luckett, was a 
Methodist minister, over 78 years of age. He had preached in 
Illinois, Kentucky, and Missouri. When the war broke out, he lived 
in Missouri. He had saved money enough to have all the comforts 
necessary in his old age. Then he suddenly lost all. The blow pros¬ 
trated him. He was sure that he would become a pauper and die a 
public charge. His friends tried to reassure him, but to no purpose. 
He visited his niece at Memphis, then in possession of Federal forces. 
His excited talk attracted the attention of some detectives in the em¬ 
ploy of the government. They found that he was a Southern man by 
birth, and that he sympathized with the sufferings of the Southern 
people. The detectives told him that it would be a good idea for him 
to take a load of quinine and percussion caps to the rebels, and they 
would pay fabulous prices. They helped him with money, etc., and 
then arrested him, loaded him with irons, and he was to be shot on 



NEW YORK INSTITUTION FOR THE INSTRUCTION OF THE DEAF AND DUMB. 

One of the Cooking Classes. 

















The Lincoln Centennial. 


25 


the morrow. Mrs. Bullett told all this to the President, and suddenly 
he stopped her and asked her the name of the man. She said it was 
Henry M. Luckett. Mr. Lincoln replied: “Why he preached in 
Springfield years ago. I knew him well. I heard him preach. He 
was tall and augular like me, and I have been mistaken for him on 
the street. He can not be shot or hanged. Rest assured, my child, 
that you father’s life is safe.” He sent a dispatch to Gen. Hurbrut 
to stop the execution. Mr. Luckett was released and sent to his 
friends. Soon after he went to Washington to thank the President. 
A year later he died. 

Mr. Hodgson contributed the following preface, with the poem 
“ High Tide at Gettysburg,” both of which were rendered into the 
sign language by Mr. W. G. Jones : — 

Others here to-day have told you that this is the one-hundredth 
anniversary of the birth of Abraham Lincoln. They have rehearsed 
the story of his life—his humble birth and the obscure surroundings 
of his boyhood ; his struggles to obtain an education ; his services as 
a captain in the Black Hawk war, as postmaster in a little town, and 
as a member of the State Legislature ; his election and re-election as 
President of the United States ; and his tragic death at the hands of 
an assassin. 

He was Chief Executive of this nation in its stormy times. On 
him devolved the stupendous task of preserving the unity of the 
States of our American Republic. The ultimate triumph of the 
policy of his administration has made us a free and united people. 
The close of the Civil War culminated in conditions that had never 
existed since the world began. As one writer expresses it : “ For 

the first time since man has kept a record of events, the heavens bent 
above and domed a land without a serf, a servant, or a slave.” 

In our Public Schools, every schoolboy and schoolgirl is taught 
that wonderful gem of English literature—Lincoln’s speech at Get¬ 
tysburg, on the occasion of the dedication of the national cemetery in 
which sleep forever so many thousands who gave their lives that 
their country might live. The full significance of Lincoln’s elo¬ 
quence on this occasion, can be understood only when it is realized 
what a stubborn and bloody struggle between soldiers of the North 
and South was fought upon the ground whereon he stood when his 
speech was delivered. A vivid pen picture of this great battle is 
given in the following verses, entitled “ High Tide at Gettysburg.” 
They were written by a newspaper man—one of those talented liter¬ 
ary hacks—whose indentity has not been disclosed. 


26 


The Lincoln Centennial . 


“ HIGH TIDE AT GETTYSBURG.” 

A cloud possessed the hollow field— 

The gathering battle’s smoky shield-- 
Amid the gloom the lightnings flashed, 

And through the mist some horsemen dashed, 
And from the heights the thunder pealed. 

Then, at the brief command of Eee, 

Strode forth that matchless infantry, 

With Pickett leading grandly down, 

To rush upon the roaring crown 
Of those dread heights of destiny. 

Far heard, above the angry guns, 

A cry across the tumult runs— 

The voice that rang through Shiloh’s woods, 
And Chickamauga’s solitudes, 

The fierce South cheering on her sons. 

Ah ! how the withering tempest blew 
Upon the front of Pettigrew— 

A Khamsin wind that scorched and singed, 
Eike that infernal flame that fringed 
The British squares at Waterloo. 

A thousand fell where Kemper led, 

A thousand died where Garnett bled ; 
Through blinding flame and strangling smoke, 
The remnant through the battery broke, 

And crossed the works with Armistead. 

But who shall break the guards that wait 
Before the awful face of Fate; 

The tattered standards of the South 
Are shriveled at the cannon’s mouth, 

And all her hopes are desolate. 







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Nii\V YORK INSTITUTION FOR THE INSTRUCTION OF THE DEAF AND DUMB 

Brevet Major-General George Moore Smith, Reviewing the Battalion. 



















































The Lincoln Centennial. 


27 


“ Once more in glory’s van with me !” 
Virginia cries to Tennessee. 

“ We two together, come what may, 

Will stand upon those heights to-day” — 
The reddest day in history. 

Brave Tennessee, reckless the way— 
Virginia heard her comrade say : 

“ Close round this rent and riddled rag” — 
What time she set her battle flag 
Amid the guns of Doubleday. 

In vain the Tennessean set 
His breast against the bayonet; 

In vain Virginia charged and raged, 

A tigress in her wrath uncaged, 

Till all the hill was red and wet. 

Above the bayonets, mixed and crossed, 
Men saw a grey, gigantic ghost, 

• 

Receding through the battle cloud, 

And heard, above the tempest loud, 

The death cry of a nation lost. 

The brave went down without disgrace, 
They leaped to ruin’s red embrace; 

They only heard Fame’s thunder wake, 
And saw the dazzling sunburst break 
In smiles on glory’s bloody face. 

They fell, who lifted up a hand 
And bade the sun in heaven to stand; 

They smote and fell, who set the bars 
Against the progress of the stars, 

And stayed the march of Motherland. 


28 


The Lincoln Centennial . 


They stood, who saw the future come 
On through the fight’s delirium ; 

They smote and stood, who held the hope- 
Of nations on that slippery slope, 

Amid the cheers of Christendom. 

God reigns! He forged the iron will 
That clutched and held that trembling hill. 
God lives and reigns! He built and lent 
The heights for Freedom’s battlement, 
Where floats her flags in triumph still. 

Fold up the banners, smelt the guns; 

Love rules, her gentler purpose runs 
A mighty mother turns, in tears, 

The pages of her battle years, 

Lamenting all her fallen sons. 



Mr. Jones,in his inimitable graphic signs, then read : 






The Lincoln Centennial . 


29 


THE GETTYSBURG ADDRESS 


^Fourscore anS seven ^ears ago our fathers brought 
forth upon this continent a new nation, conceives in 
liberty, anS SeSicateS to the proposition that all men 
are creates equal. IRow we are engages in a great 
civil war, testing whether that nation, or an\? nation 
so conceives anS so SeSicateS, can long ensure. 
are met on a great hattlefielS of that war. HUle have 
come to SeSicate a portion of that fielS as a final 
resting place for those who here gave their lives that 
that nation might live. Ht is altogether fitting anS 
proper that we shoulS So this. J6ut in a larger sense 
we cannot SeSicate, we cannot consecrate, we cannot 
hallow this grounS. Ghe hrave men, living anS SeaS, 
who struggles here, have consecrates it far above em¬ 
power to aSS or Setract. £he worlS will little note, 

nor long remember, what we sag here; hut it can 

« 

never forget what tbe£ SiS here. Ht is for us, the 
living, rather to be SeSicateS here to the unfiitisheS 
work which the^ who fought here have thus far so 
nobl£ aSvanceS. lit is rather for us to he here 
SeSicateS to the great task remaining before us, that 
from these bonoreS SeaS we take increases Sevotion 
to that cause for which tbe\> gave the last full 
measure of Sevotion; that we here highly resolve 
that these SeaS shall not have SieS in vain; that this 
nation, unSer (3oS, shall have a new birth of freeSom, 
anS that government of the people, b y the people, 
anS for the people, shall not perish from the earth. 

Bbrabam Xtncoln 








NEW YORK INSTITUTION FOR THE INSTRUCTION OF THE DEAF AND DUMB. 

Lincoln’s Birthday Ceremonies—S ketch by Advanced Art Pupils. 



















The Lincoln Centennial. 


3 i 


The band having rendered “ Rock of Ages ” in an admirable man¬ 
ner, the Principal called upon the members of the staff of instruc¬ 
tion for some of the more prominent national presentations of Presi¬ 
dent Lincoln. 

Dr. Fox: —In scrutinizing what may be called the “ raw material ” 
of Lincoln as boy and youth, long before he began his meteoric career 
in politics and statesmanship, we seek in vain the embryonic quali¬ 
ties which were to produce a great man—to discover in the uncouth 
youth the hidden force which made him great. He had not the hun¬ 
dredth part of the opportunities open to any of you here to-day; his 
was a life of poverty and misery of the most abject kind. Some of 
his biographers have used alleviating terms to draw fanciful pictures 
of a frugal household, of a gallant frontierman father, and a saint-like 
mother. This is purely illusive. Coarse, low, and poverty-stricken 
surroundings were about the child. His father was a shiftless squat¬ 
ter and a very ignorant man, apparently without capacity or desire to 
do better. His mother may have been somewhat superior to this, but 
we have no direct evidence of it. 

Now, good blood and distinguished progenitors are a social desi¬ 
derata, but whether our ancestors came over in the Mayflower, or in 
the plebeian “ steerage” of a later date, matters little. It is what we 
are, what we make of ourselves, that counts. This is one great lesson 
of Lincoln’s life—and he was a man. Lincoln knew little of his pro¬ 
genitors and bothered himself still less on the subject. He discour¬ 
aged all efforts to connect him with the great Lincoln family of 
Massachusetts, and was content to make his own name and fame. 

His education was scant enough; the sum of all the schooling he 
had in his whole life was hardly one year. As he passed from boy¬ 
hood to youth his mental development took its characteristics from 
the popular demands of the neighborhood. He scribbled verses and 
satirical prose. Later he wrote articles on government and temper¬ 
ance, and was ready for speech-making to any who were near at the 
moment of inspiration. He attained distinction as a speaker and 
writer, and to explain this we are confronted by another riddle dif¬ 
ficult to solve. 

The chief trait in all his life was honesty in all things— language, 
purpose, thought, and especially of mind. This pervasive honesty 
was trait of his identity which staid with him to the end. Another 
striking feature in Lincoln’s nature was the wonderful degree to 
which he always appeared to be in sympathetic touch with the people. 
This quality for a while prevented his differentiating himself from 



NEW YORK INSTITUTION FOR THE INSTRUCTION OF THE DEAF AND DUMB. 

Sewing Class. 












The L incoln Cen ten n ial. 


33 


them and rising rapidly to a higher moral plane than theirs. It made 
Lincoln, as a young man, not much superior to his coarse surround¬ 
ings, but his gifts, expanding rapidly with maturing years, made him 
what he was in later life. So without misrepresentation, the coarse¬ 
ness of his youth ceases to be his own and becomes only the presenta¬ 
tion of a curious social condition. In his youth he expressed a low 
condition, in later life a noble one ; at each period he expressed cor¬ 
rectly what he found, so that through him his day and generation ex¬ 
pressed itself. From this point of view we can contemplate Lincoln’s 
early days amid all their rustic environments and influences, and 
come to an understanding of the wonderful gifts which he trained ta 
such successful issue. 

Mr. Gardner :—You have been told that Abraham Lincoln was 
born one hundred years ago. Well, so was another famous man, 
Charles Darwin—who taught the world a great lesson of another 
kind—and so, too, were several thousand other more or less useful 
humans born on that day, one hundred years ago. In this respect, at 
least, we mortals are equal—each of us has a birthday. 

In other respects, also, Lincoln was not unlike the rest of us. In 
physical stature, for instance, Lincoln was like others, except as re¬ 
gards proportions. Then, too, he possessed, as we do, though in 
different proportion, all the elements that go to make up what we 
call character. Yes, Lincoln was human, as we are human, but he 
was more human than the rest of us. 

Lincoln was a great man long before he became President. He 
was great by nature, not by circumstance. By right living and right 
thinking he cultivated and increased a strong sense of justice, 
charity, and forbearance, and there grew up in him a grandeur of 
spirit which baffled and often overawed those who sought to be¬ 
little his attainments, or to induce him to act from their motives. 

To my mind Lincoln’s remarkable power is nowhere better shown 
than in his relations with his Cabinet. Lincoln chose for his advisers, 
not men whom he knew to be loyal and friendly to him personally, 
but men—notable men—who represented public opinion, and who 
had done much to form it in different parts of the country. 

A new political party—the Republican party—had but recently 
been formed, and the members of Lincoln’s Cabinet had been lead¬ 
ers in the strife and political turmoil that then prevailed in all sec¬ 
tions. One had confidently expected to be made President when 
Lincoln was chosen. Others were scheming for future honors. Their 
point of view was naturally the party point of view. They were great 
politicians ; Lincoln was a great statesman. They were men of great 

'l 

o 



NEW YORK INSTITUTION FOR THE INSTRUCTION OF THE DEAF AND DUMB. 

Art Classes. 

















7 he Lincoln Contennial. 


35 


minds ; Lincoln was a man of great soul, and he won. In spite of 
much personal animosity among the members of his cabinet, Lincoln 
managed to maintain peaceful if not harmonious relations, and to 
draw from each of his advisers such advice as he was best qualified to 
give. 

Much has been said of Lincoln’s early life and education. He was 
born and reared in poverty. He became noble and great ; but it is not 
necessary to have been born or reared in a log-cabin in order to attain 
greatness of soul or nobility of character. Other men have become 
noble and great, though born and reared in entirely unlike surround¬ 
ings. 

Lincoln himself said that his education was defective ; yet he wrote 
an address for the dedication of the National Cemetery at Gettysburg 
that has been translated into the language of every civilized people on 
earth, and will be reverently read or heard by millions of people to¬ 
day. Nevertheless it may well be that Lincoln’s education was defec¬ 
tive. All education is defective in one way or another. A different 
education might have given Lincoln more polish, more culture, but it 
could hardly have given a truer sense of right or justice. Again, a 
better training might have quickened his faculties and given him 
more self-confidence, but it could hardly have given him greater 
stability of character or a clearer perception of the motives by which 
different types of men are moved to action. 

To satisfy the demands of science Lincoln’s education lacked little 
of being complete. For the development and training of his mental 
faculties he applied himself to a few things till every detail was 
thoroughly mastered. To broaden and deepen his mental vision and 
to adjust himself to the affairs of the world in which he lived and 
worked, he relied upon honest business dealings and wholesome 
social intercourse with his fellows. These are things that it is im¬ 
portant for us to keep always in mind. 

As an interlude to the speeches, the stirring notes of “Double 
Eagle’’ thrilled the audience as the band performed this brilliant 
march with zest and precision. 

Mr. Burdick: —When the thirteen colonies fought for their inde¬ 
pendence, they were not a nation. They were thirteen separate 
governments united by a common cause and against a common 
enemy. 

These colonies were filled with rivalry and jealousy among them¬ 
selves, and it was no easy task to unite them to form one nation. 

To produce the Constitution of the United States and secure its 



NEW YORK INSTITUTION FOR THE INSTRUCTION OF THE DEAF AND DUMB. 

Kindergarten Classes. 



















The Lincoln Centennial. 


37 


adoption, required the persistent and herculean efforts of some of the 
greatest statesmen the world has ever produced—Washington, 
Hamilton, Adams, Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin. 

After the adoption of the Constitution the same jealousies and 
rivalries continued, and different States interpreted the Constitution 
in different ways. Some States thought that the Constitution did not 
bind them to remain in the Union, and other States thought that the 
general government was supreme and that no State should disobey 
the law of the United States Congress. 

Different parts of the country had different social and economical 
institutions. The South had slaves. The North abolished slavery. 

These different ideals and different institutions caused many com¬ 
promises to be made in the laws so that the Union might continue ; 
and thus it continued for about three-fourths of a century. Com¬ 
promises usually mean difficulties put off to be settled in the future. 
So it happened that at the time when Lincoln became President 
there had accumulated a number of compromsies, and the time for 
settlement had arrived. 

The South demanded its right to leave the Union, and sustained its 
claims by making war upon the United States Government. 

At such a time as this, it was important to the best interests of the 
nation that there should be at the head of the nation a man of char¬ 
acter and intellect broad enough to take in the whole nation—North, 
South, East and West. There were several men in the country who 
thought they were the right men to be President, but the people 
chose Abraham Lincoln, and he proved to be the man—the only 
man—who could fill the requirements. 

The statesman of the South thought it was for the good of that part 
the country to leave the Union, and some of the wisest men at the 
North thought it would be better to separate than to have war. But 
Lincoln had lived in the new Western States, and he saw the possi¬ 
bilities of the future development of the country, and he knew that for 
the country to continue successful, it must continue as one nation. 

Therefore he gave all his energies and his life to this one object, to 
save the nation. 

A few years ago there was a people in Cuba, who were greatly op¬ 
pressed by their government. In the name of Liberty, the United 
States Government was able to step in and give freedom to that 
people. That was made possible because Lincoln saved the Union 
and made us a strong nation. 

Again, Japan and Russia were carrying on a terrible war. Our 



• iA !;'? -■ 

■ - ?l. . : 


3t£i 




mhHBHRHhHI 


NEW YORK INSTITUTION FOR THE INSTRUCTION OF THE DEAF AND DUMB. 

Kindergarten Classes. 






The Lincoln Contennial, 


39 


nation was the only one in all the world that helped them to stop the 
war. That was because Lincoln saved the nation from destruction. 

At the present time there is much feeling in the Western States 
against the Japanese. The people there do not like the laws of the 
United States about the Japanese people. 

If the South had been successful in gaining its independence, per¬ 
haps the West would have done the same, and in the end there would 
have been no nation left. Lincoln saw this truth, and so he labored, 
prayed and fought to preserve the nation, and as a result we now 
stand as one of the most respected and influential nations of the 
world. 

Lincoln, more than any one else, brought about this grand result, 
and this is why the whole world honors him on this one hundredth 
anniversary of his birth. 

Mr. Best :—Others have told you something of Lincoln’s boyhood, 
his self-education, his rise to greatness, his work as President, and 
the tribute paid him by the world after his death. I shall try to call 
your attention to the deep, overshadowing sense of responsibility 
which was with him always. As we read history, we find great 
names like Cromwell or Joan of Arc, souls actuated by an intense 
purpose to serve their country, and early in their lives this feeling 
was manifest that an important role in their country’s history was to 
be filled by them. 

When Lincoln became President, his being was lost in this feeling 
of responsibility. He felt the cause of the Union was in his keeping, 
and it was for him to hold together what Washington and his 
associates had made one. When he saw South Carolina secede, and 
then one State after the other withdraw, his great soul filled with 
sorrow. There was no rancor, no ill feeling. He had nothing of 
hate to those who would break the Union. Only now he felt that he 
was divinely commissioned. His duty was plain before him—he 
would never shrink from it. 

As the war went on, and as he saw the thousands of killed and 
wounded, his grief was greater than most souls ever learn to bear. In 
homes all over the land there was mourning and weeping. From 
Massachusetts, from Pennsylvania, from Iowa, he had called boys to 
join the army and fight for the Union. Of Hie homes where there 
were a mother’s tears, and a family circle broken, of these homes 
Lincoln continually thought. His was the responsibility, he would 
bear it to the end. 

He had a very tender feeling for the young soldier. Once a young 



Kindergarten—V oice Culture. 




















The L in coln Cen ten n ia l. 


4i 


boy was condemmed to death as a deserter. Lincoln heard of it. and 
realizing the poor boy was only homesick, he sent a telegram order¬ 
ing his release. Several hours later, to make sure, he wired again. 
Still being uneasy, he got into his carriage and rode to the spot and 
saw that the boy was freed. 

At night he would visit the hospitals, and of all the misery and 
suffering he recognized himself the cause. Yet he could not falter— 
the war must go on. To the abuse and jealousy of others he made 
no reply—he bore it in patience. Once when he was overcome by 
this feeling of responsibility, he is said to have exclaimed, “Oh! 
God, what am I that Thou shouldst ask this of me.” 

To-day all over the world we honor the day of his birth. There is 
now no bitterness nor hatred. In the South, all see that he did faith¬ 
fully his duty, and if he had lived the woes of Reconstruction would 
never have been. They love him as do those in the North. His 
fame grows from year to year, and as we honor him to-day, we feel 
that we cannot honor him enough. 

The band at this point gave a fine rendition of “ Carmen.” 

Mr. Thomason: —Principal Currier, Dr. Fox, and those who have 
preceded me, have carefully reminded you of some of the great things 
in the character and life of Abraham Lincoln. If I may be allowed 
the privilege, now, I would like to mention a few of the little things 
in his life that served their part in making of this great man’s wholly 
rounded character. What I am going to say will interest the 
smaller children. 

Lincoln had a great love for children. He had three sons of his 
own, which in some measure may have strengthened this love, yet by 
no means did he confine it to those of his own household. When¬ 
ever he met a child 011 the street, Lincoln would always stop and 
speak to him, and in a very few minutes, if he had plenty of time to 
to do it, form a lifelong friendship. Lincoln’s looks were somewhat 
against him in forming immediate attachments. Children were very 
often frightened at the first glance at that stern, decided, and almost 
cross face, but a few playful words were sufficient to coax any child 
away from his mother or nurse. 

Lincoln always attributed his wearing a beard to the advice of a 
little child. The story runs as follows: Soon after Lincoln became 
President of this great country of ours, one of his photographs fell 
into the hands of a critical little girl of about ten years. After a long 
look at the picture she came to the conclusion that Lincoln’s chin 



NEW YORK INSTITUTION FOR THE INSTRUCTION OF THE DEAF & DUMB 

Hours of Recreation. 







The Lincoln Centennial. 


43 


was the main feature that disfigured him, and decided that it would 
not be a bad idea to remind him that this could easily be remedied. 
She sat down and wrote him a letter, informing him of the fact that 
she had seen better-looking men than he, and that in her opinion a 
beard would greatly improve his looks. Instead of throwing this 
little letter, which was indeed very personal, into a waste basket, 
Lincoln carefully put it away, laughing heartily all the while. He 
was really very much impressed. 

A few weeks after this he went to the town in which this little girl 
lived, to deliver an address. In the course of the address, he men¬ 
tioned the letter he had received, and asked if the writer of it were 
present if she would object to meeting him. Much to his sur¬ 
prise, up stepped the blushing little maiden to confirm in person her 
criticism. Lincoln stooped, picked her up and kissed her, and pro¬ 
mised to take her advice. This he did very soon; he grew a beard 
that he wore to his grave. 

One more commendable trait of this great man was his utter lack of 
conceit or false pride, or whatever you choose to call it. He never felt 
himself above those whom he had known in the years of his poverty, 
in the days when he was no more than the plainest country boy. At 
the time of his greatest prosperity, he was never ashamed of his poor¬ 
est relative or his plainest friend. They were just as welcome to the 
White House as they had ever been to the cabin down in Kentucky. 
To visit their homes gave him as much pleasure in his days of plenty 
as it had when he was living in their same circumstances. Never 
was he in too big a hurry to look them up, when he happened to be 
near their homes, and never was he too busy to give them a hearty 
handshake and an urgent invitation to his home. 

After all, it seems to me that it is in these little things that the 
secret of his greatness truly lies. 


At half-past eleven the last number on the program was reached, 
and then followed the most surprising number. The Principal sang 
the opening bars of “ America,” and with the choir signing, the hear¬ 
ing teachers and officers adding their voices, and the band lending its 
resonant notes, there presented a combination of gestural signs and 
vocal and instrumental sounds that was an object lesson of the true 
worth and great value of the Combined System of educating the deaf, 
which permitted them to comprehend and enjoy this glorious hymn 
in praise of and hope for our beloved country. There was many 




44 The Lincoln Centennial. 

another observance in honor of Abraham Lincoln throughout our 
broad land on this great day, but few can have been more heartfelt 
and inspiring, or productive of good, than that which marked the 
Lincoln Centennial Anniversary at Fanwood. 





i anii 


Ahraltant IGutmlu 

1909 


THE NEW YORK 

TIMES 

[CENTENARY COMPETITION 

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Winners Lincoln Centenary Contest 







THE LINCOLN CENTENARY COMPETITION 
FOR SCHOOL CHILDREN* 


Arranged by the “New York Times/’ 


“ IKnow ye not that tbev? wbfcb run in a race run all, but one receive 
etb tbe pd3e? So run that ma\j obtain.” 

I T has long been a lamentable custom to class the deaf as “ defec¬ 
tives.” 

That they are handicapped by the deprivation of one or more of the 
five senses, nobody has ever attempted to deny. But to say that they 
are deficient physically, mentally or morally, calls forth from this 
writer a most strenuous objection. 

The one problem, which has always, and will always, confront and 
often baffle the efforts of instructors, is to confer the ability of correct 
verbal expression. Without the aid of sound and the talk and col¬ 
loquy of their fellows, the progress in acquiring language is neces¬ 
sarily difficult and slow, and there is ever present the obtruding con¬ 
viction that in the line of grammatical expression the deaf are below 
par. 

It was therefore a pleasant—nay, a wonderful—surprise, to note the 
result of a competition instituted by the New York Tunes, open to all 
schoolboys and schoolgirls in Greater New York, to contribute essays 
upon the life and character of Lincoln, based upon seven papers by 
Frederic Tievor Hill. 







4 8 


The Lincoln Centennial. 


There was a total of io,odo essays submitted, and only 1000, or one 
out of ten, could receive a mention or award. These essays, limited 
to 500 words, were judged by four separate committees solely upon 
their merits, and did not take into consideration the varying difficul¬ 
ties and disadvantages of the contestants. 

There were thirty-one aspirants for honors from the New York In¬ 
stitution for the Instruction of the Deaf and Dumb. All were volun¬ 
tary, and the omissions of contestants of admitted ability were as 
numerous as those who entered. To reach the average of success, 
only three of the number of the deaf entries would be required to 
obtain a mention or award. Imagine, therefore, the unprecedented 
success obtained by the deaf, when twenty-one received either medals, 
prizes or certificates. 

The only logical deduction for this extraordinary achievement of 
deaf boys and girls, is that the breadth and liberality of the Combined, 
or Eclectic, System, as elaborated, applied, and practised at this 
Institution, gives the stimulus ,and force and inspiration that 
culminates in the highest mental development and the most accurate 
and descriptive forms of expression. The Lincoln competition called 
for knowledge of the subject and capability in handling it, and 
these deaf pupils proved that they had the courage and ambition 
to try and the ability to succeed. 

» 

Of the successful contestants, seven are congenitally deaf, two are 
semi-deaf, and twelve are semi-mutes. Two of them are children 
of deaf parents. 

At the New York Institution the intellectual functions are not 
hampered nor repressed. Although in the classroom signs are not 
used as a medium of instruction, in the chapel, in the lectures and 
addresses, they are utilized to the -.fullest extent, and on the 
playground and in general intercourse, there are no restrictions or 
prohibitions whatever. With the blind-deaf, who have taken the lead 
in the successful competition, the instruction is by signs and finger- 
spelling. Therefore the mental development and facility of verbal 
expression evidenced in their productions, point unerringly to the 
value of signs and the manual alphabet as a means of communication 
and instruction, and dispels once again the fallacy that signs are a 
hindrance to the acquisition of grammatical English. 

In outdoor sports the deaf have proven themselves the peers, and 
very often the superiors, of the hearing. Their record on the diamond 
and the cinder path, and in all field sports, places them in Class A. 
As a matter of fact, the world’s record for the 75-yard sprint was 
made (and still holds) by an old-time Fanwood boy. And was it not 







NEW YORK INSTITUTION FOR THE INSTRUCTION OF THE DEAF AND DUMB. 

The Daily Ceremony of Flag Raising at the Beginning of School Day. 























NEW YORK INSTITUTION FOR THE INSTRUCTION OF THE DEAF AND DUMB 

The Daily Ceremony of Flag Lowering at the Close of School Day. 



























The Lincoln Centennial. 


49 


also a Fanwood boy who, twenty or more years ago, won the Mara¬ 
thon of his day against one hundred and twenty hearing rivals at 
Madison Square Garden, by more than a mile in a four hours contest. 

In the indoor games and exercises, the deaf have also an enviable 
record. Some ten or twelve years ago, a team of Fanwood basket 
ball players, called the Silent Five, toured the cities from New York 
to Chicago, winning victory upon victory over the best players the 
country could produce. 

The Fanwood Cadets, at the Military Tournaments, participated in 
by the cracks of the whole country and even Canada, have won the 
applause of admiring thousands by the almost faultless exhibitions in 
marching evolutions and the manual of arms. In recent years, pitted 
against battalions of hearing cadets, they have been universally pro¬ 
claimed the superiors in every department of the school of the soldier. 

Their military band evokes the wonder of all who have heard it in 
the variety and excellence of its repertoire. 

In the fine arts, the deaf have always held high rank, and this not 
only because they see most faithfully, but also because of the origin¬ 
ality of conception and the delicacy of execution. 

In the world of workers they have proven apt and skillful and in¬ 
dustrious and energetic. 

It is a pleasure to place on record the names of the winners in this 
Lincoln Composition Contest, and to reproduce the compositions as 
evidence of the degree of ability attained. 

Five-Dollar Cash Prizes and Medals —Ella Hopkins, Ida S. 
Bucher, Catherine T. Pederson. (Members of the Deaf-Blind Class). 

Medals —Fannie Krutnholz, Sadie H. Reibstein, Harry Goldberg, 
Henry G. Richardson, William C. Wren, Raymond Layman, 
Frederic G. Fancher, Carl Lautenberger, and Kate McGirr (Deaf- 
Blind). 

Certificates— Lena Herschleifer, Lucille C. Lefi, Sarah Prager, 
Gertrude A. Doenges, Henry H. Brauer, Hyacinth Dramis, Alfred J. 
Geiger, Solia Goerschanek, Solomon Zimmerman. 



4 





50 


The L in coln Cen ten n ia l. 



The: Lincoln Med'ae Awarded by the New York Times. 


By Ida S. Bucher [Deaf-Blind]. 

In an unhealthy, floorless and poorly furnished shack, Abraham 
Lincoln made his first appearance upon this earth. His mother was 
a delicate, uneducated woman, but she did all she could for the wel¬ 
fare of the child, encouraging his ambitions as best she could, but she 
died when he was very young. His father, an illiterate farm laborer 
and carpenter, took little or no interest in the boy, never teaching 
him how to run the farm, but leaving this for others to do, and 
seldom allowing him to attend school. When he became older he did 
odd jobs, and in this way people came to know him and lent him 
books, the few that they had, and these he read again and again. 

When a young man he worked as clerk in a grocery store, never 
cheating in weights but doing everything honestly. Next he became 
joint partner of a grocery with a man of dissolute habits, who after¬ 
wards died leaving Lincoln in debt, but every cent was finally paid. 
It was while carrying on this business that he began the study of 
law, but he never studied it systematically, and never felt that he was 
fit for the profession. Yet by patience, close application and 
occasional attendance of courts, he succeeded in becoming a reliable 







The Lincoln Centennial. 


5i 


lawyer. He was a member of the Illinois Legislature for four years, 
after which he was sent to Congress. 

He was a skillful politician, but he was never greedy for office. 
He cared very little for money or dress, and frequently mortified his 
friends by his carelessness of appearance. 

He was frank in all things. He would speak his mind when his 
friends urged him to be silent. Even while the war with Mexico was 
going on, and the whole country was elated by the success of our 
army, he criticised it. His debate with his opponent, Douglas, made 
him famous. 

He did not become President until fifty years of age. Stanton, 
Seward and Chase worked very hard for the office and were bitterly 
disappointed over their defeat, but Lincoln avoided trouble by hand¬ 
ling them tactfully, and there was little friction. It seems as though 
Lincoln was the man for the time, for no other could have done so 
well for the nation at that critical period. 

During the Civil War he was just towards his countrymen, who 
held him in esteem. He was schooled in the solving of hard 
problems although he was slow to decide. Had it not been for him, 
slavery would, no doubt, have increased, and at this day the country 
would not be, as it is, a glorious nation. But it was Lincoln the man 
that we revere. He overcame many obstacles ; was patient, modest, 
unselfish and thoroughly honest, and he will ever live in the hearts of 
his grateful countrymen. 


By Ella Hopkins [Deaf Blind], 

In a miserable shack, in the wilderness of Kentucky, was born, 
about one hundred years ago, a child whose name has since been an 
inspiration to all true Americans. 

Abraham Lincoln’s father, an illiterate farm hand, did not think an 
education was necessary for the boy, but his mother, a delicate, sickly 
woman, did her best to start him on the road to knowledge. Lincoln 
was unlike other boys, who have an eager desire for learning. His 
obliging nature won the interest of the neighbors, who gladly lent 
him books to read. Though far from brilliant minded, and having no 
extraordinary intellectual powers, Lincoln felt that he was destined 
for something higher than the lot of a farm hand. He realized that 
he must clear the way for his advancement. What he lacked in 
cleverness, he made up in sincerity. 

Love for truth was deeply rooted in that great heart, and by it was 
he ruled. 


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Check, I^incoen Contest Money Prize, Presented by the New York Times 














The Lincoln Centennial. 


53 


He was modest, gentle, and unassuming, but lacked grace and 
eloquence. 

He was never ashamed to confess his ignorance or to make in¬ 
quiries. 

He was gentle and kind by nature; no harsh words ever escaped his 
lips. 

What learning he possessed was gained at intervals of lesiure. He 
studied while at work, and it was no uncommon sight to see him read¬ 
ing a book while following the plough, yet curious to relate, the fur¬ 
rows were always true. 

As a clerk, Lincoln did his duty faithfully, but did not attempt to 
make himself indispensable. However, his honesty won the confidence 
of the people. His business venture with Mr. Berry ended in failure, 
but Lincoln faithfully paid the debts. 

It was at the Circuit Court, in Boonesville, that Lincoln received 
his first inspiration for law. 

How could a man born in such obscurity, and brought up by 
ignorant parents, entertain the idea of pursuing law? Lincoln had 
very little worldly knowledge. Though badly handicapped, he per¬ 
severed and left the profession better than he had found it. His 
entire political career from the first round to success, is like a vivid 
picture of a man wearily ascending a steep hill, every now and then 
encountering an obstacle, which he cheerfully overcomes, while on 
his sad face is written patience. Thus did Lincoln daily meet rebuffs 
and abuses. Hope remained unshaken. He knew that the truth 
would sooner or later be recognized. 

The reward of his famous debate with his opponent, Douglas, was 
his election to Congress, where he served his country manfully. 

Always frank and outspoken, he fearlessly denounced the Mexican 
War, just when our armies had covered themselves with glory, be¬ 
cause he thought it would not benefit the country. 

As President, he guided the Nation with a steady hand, winning, 
by his patience and sympathy, love and reverence of every true 
American. He certainly deserves all this love. It was not the 
President that inspired us, but his pure, upright life. When his 
great work was done, he wore the martyr’s crown. 


By Catherine J. Pederson [Deaf-Blind], 

One hundred years ago Abraham Lincoln, one of our best beloved 
Presidents, was born in a small log cabin in the wilderness of Ken¬ 
tucky. He had no regular schooling, his mother rendering him all 


54 


The Lincoln Centennial . 


the assistance she could until her death, and his father, an illiterate 
man, did not consider it worth while to send him to school. 

He was anxious to do well. The neighbors were interested in him, 
and lent him a few books, which he read and studied at every oppor¬ 
tunity. He often held a book in his hand while following the plough. 
Thus he laid a strong foundation for the future. 

When he was a young man, he studied law while clerking in a 
country store. Indeed, all his leisure moments were spent in this way, 
no time being really lost. He neglected his business a great deal, in 
order to improve his mind, but his failures did not bother him in the 
least. He was not a brilliant lawyer, he was thorough. He never 
aided a client whom he knew to be guilty. He was never afraid to 
stand up and speak the truth. He paid all his debts. He was not 
greedy for money, he valued honor far more. 

At the age of twenty-eight he entered the Illinois Legislature, serv¬ 
ing his State for four terms, and then the people sent him to Con¬ 
gress. His opponent, Douglas, was a brilliant-minded man, and the 
two had a famous debate ; which, I think, did the country good. 

Lincoln opposed the Mexican War because he thought that it would 
increase the slave territory, and he hated slavery. 

The people said that he should not criticise his country at that time, 
because it was like treason. It did not matter, he was entirely fearless. 

As President he served his country well. During the Civil War 
great dangers threatened the nation, yet he brought it safely through. 

He was sincere and patient and gentle. He loved his countrymen 
and was one of them. He always sympathized with them. He did 
right because it was right. This was what made him successful, and 
for this he will be loved to the end of time. 


By Harry Goldberg. 

Editor “The Little Printer.” 

Just one century has elapsed since the birth of our noble martyred 
President, Abraham Lincoln. He was born in Kentucky, on a farm, 
and it is a mystery how he, a poor farmer’s boy, developed into a man 
of such high intelligence. The cabin in which he was born was 
merely a hut, with a flooring of hard earth. The land around it was 
a wilderness, lonely and desolate, with no schools, so that Lincoln 
had to pick up an education as he could. 

When Lincoln was in his twelfth year his mother died of consump¬ 
tion, and after that the poor boy had to work very hard to support 
his family. 










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NEW YORK INSTITUTION' FOR TilH INSTRUCTION OF THE DEAF AND DUMB —Butts’ Drill 











































The Lincoln Centennial. 


55 


When Lincoln was in his twenty-first year, he practically had earn¬ 
ed nothing to support himself. His first occupation was working in 
a grocer’s store, but in a very short time he gave up that work and 
went home to help his family. Lincoln, as a farmer, salesman, or 
merchant, did not show great ability, and often proved a failure. 

Lincoln, as a lawyer, did all his work justly. He neither deceived 
himself nor did he allow others to deceive him, and he honestly and 
fairly looked on all sides of a question before making up his mind. 
He never sacrificed his principles for gain, but for almost a quarter 
of a century he supported himself and his family from his earnings as 
a lawyer. Lincoln served four consecutive years in the Illinois Legis¬ 
lature and was given one term in Congress. Lincoln saved the coun¬ 
try from trouble and disaster during the slavery crisis. Stephen 
Douglas, the great Democrat, faced Lincoln in a debate, and the latter 
won. He showed the rights of the slave and why he should be as 
free as any white man. 

In i860 Lincoln was elected President of the United States. During 
his career as President he showed great wisdom, and was honest and 
kind. He was willing to help the desolate and poor. He was simple 
and modest, caring little for money, but always for honor. 

Booth, a Confederate who hated Lincoln, shot him in a theatre. 
When the people heard he was shot, they were all stricken with grief. 

Lincoln once said, “ With malice toward none, with charity for all; 
with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right,” and that 
was his motto through life. It is not Lincoln, the President, nor 
Lincoln the preserver of the Union, but it is Lincoln, the man, who 
is our inspiration of to-day. 


By Henry G. Richardson. 

Publisher “ The Little Printer.” 

A century has elapsed since the birth of Abraham Lincoln. How 
he, a poor boy, who had not much chance of gaining an education, 
developed into one of the greatest men our country ever had, remains 
a mystery ; but in a way, an easy one to solve. Lincoln was always 
on the alert for advancement. He never loitered away his time where 
it might have been of service to him. 

His father was a poor, thriftless farmer, who did not care whether 
his son received an education or not. He taught him a little carpen¬ 
try, but when any of his neighbors needed a farm hand, he sent 
Abraham to fill the position. His mother was a weak and uneducat¬ 
ed woman, but did all she could for him until she was taken away. 



Certificate of Merit, Lincoln Contest, Awarded by the New York Times. 














The Lincoln Centennial. 


57 


Lincoln, while a boy, used to love to hear the speeches of lawyers 
and officers of the county. Often he would trudge miles for that 
purpose. 

At the age of twenty-one, he had earned nothing for himself. He 
did not like to desert his family until he knew they would be well 
provided for. 

Lincoln, like other great men, loved to read, but he had few books. 
He did not get a chance to finish his education; in fact, his whole 
schooling did not exceed one year. When Lincoln began a thing, he 
did not often master it at once, but he never gave up until he could 
acknowledge himself as complete master of it. He was always ready 
to inquire about things which he didn’t understand, and was never 
ashamed to confess his ignorance. During his career as a lawyer, 
he was just and fair to all. He had many clients, but was owned by 
none. He would help a poor person if he were honest, more readily 
than a rich person who would offer him great sums. 

He served four years in the Legislature of Illinois and then was 
given a term in Congress. 

Some time after that, the great question of slavery arose. The 
Legislature had passed a law stating that the holding of slaves was 
not right. As Lincoln was involved in this, he stood chances of 
losing his political standing, but he was true to his convictions, and 
his sincerity and truthfulness won in the end. 

Later he was elected President. He was a leader who was not to 
be instructed in his duty, and he was not afraid to use his power, but 
he never abused it. 

During his whole life, he relied on all the simple virtues, and it 
was his moral qualities more than his mental power which made him 
the man he was. 

When he was assassinated, both the people of the North and 
South mourned his death. 

There are many great men who have helped to make history, but 
Lincoln has won a place foremost among the great rulers by his 
honesty of purpose and simplicity of life, which we may all copy. 


By Sadie H. Reibstein. 

Abraham Lincoln, born of humble parentage, in the wilderness of 
Kentucky, was one day destined to become the President of the 
United States and the saviour ofjris nation. 

His childhood was passed in poverty, excepting the little education 
he could get by attending school at different times, for a year. 



NEW \ ORK INSTITUTION FOR THK INSTRUCTION OF THE DEAF' & DUMB 

Gymnasium Classes. 
























The Lincoln Centennial. 


59 


He was slow in acquiring knowledge, but a thing once learned was 
hard to be forgotten. This slowness, however, had the advantage of 
making him thorough. 

Lincoln was always willing to lend a helping hand, and the neigh¬ 
bors for whom he worked took an interest in this unselfish boy and 
often gave him the loan of their books. 

His sense of justice was shown by the fact that he once worked 
several days to pay back a person whose book he had borrowed and 
injured. 

He did not meet any success in his occupation as farm-hand. Life 
as a clerk, and then as a farmer, and afterwards as a grocer, was also 
a failure. 

Lincoln finally became a lawyer, and his honesty, not brilliancy, 
won for him many clients, yet he was owned by none. 

He cared little for wealth, and would never defend a case unless he 
knew it to be practical and felt that he could act justly in the cause 
he espoused. Lincoln did not spend much time in politics, his 
record was marked by many disappointments, yet he was never 
discouraged. 

He never permitted himself to agree with a popular opinion unless 
he thought it right and true. 

It was prior to the Civil War that his party triumphed and he was 
chosen to be President. 

At the crisis, when everything was in confusion, he remained calm, 
patient and resolute in his dealings with the question of civil liberty, 
the people and the States. 

He used his influence with his Cabinet in such a way that these 
men found themselves protected by the very man they had sought to 
betray. 

To relieve the burdens of care and responsibility, he was even 
humorous at times. Yet people attacked him and tried to injure his 
personal reputation. He never uttered a word of resentment and his 
heart freely forgave them all. 

He did his work so honestly and faithfully that he lived to get the 
applause of everyone. 

Through failures and success he was always hopeful, patient, 
simple and truthful. He spoke whatever his heart suggested, “ See¬ 
ing the right as God gave him to see the right.” These simple 
virtues were the real secrets of his triumph. 

Let first reverence and honor be paid to “ Lincoln, the Man,” who 
is inspiring the hearts of all true Americans to-day, the President, 
who never ceased to be one of the people, the man who lived “ With 
malice toward none, with charity for all.” 


6o 


The Lincoln Centennial. 


By Frederic George Fancher 

Abraham Lfiucoln was born under such circumstances that nobody 
ever dreamed that he might be the future President of the United 
States. His birthplace was only a log-cabin with the ground as its 
floor. His mother, who died when he was a child, had tried to 
kindle in him a spark of ambition. His father, who was an illiterate, 
shiftless farmer and carpenter, regarded education as a waste of time 
and would not permit his son to attend school except at rare inter¬ 
vals ; but often hired him out to other farmers in need of an extra 
hand. 

So interested were people in him because of his unostentation and 
unselfishness that, perceiving his hunger for education, they loaned 
their books to him, the books over which he pored by the light of his 
father’s log-fire. 

In his striving for education he was satisfied to progress step by 
step, and his labors to acquire education under difficulties, made a 
man of him and rendered him a master of facts. 

He was a poor hand at farming, and as a clerk in the grocery store, 
he did nothing to prove himself indispensable. As a partner with 
another man in the grocery business, he had not only failed, but also 
incurred a debt which took him fourteen years to discharge. 

How he met his first impulse to fit himself for the profession of the 
law, may be traced to the time when he often trudged fifteen miles to 
listen to the harangues of the backwoods lawyers at the court. His 
record as a lawyer entitles him to be an example to all who desire to 
make the honorable profession of the law worthy of its name. He 
never practiced trickeries at the bar, such as defending or prosecuting 
any cause at a price or working by indirection. 

In politics he met many failures, but out of them he had evolved 
success. He opposed the resolutions adopted against the formation 
of Abolitionist Societies, and his attitude toward the proposed war 
with Mexico incensed people against him—ruining his chances of 
success in politics for a time. Thus he made his opinions known, no 
matter how people took them, so long as he knew himself to be right. 

It was with no feeling of elation that he found himself President¬ 
elect. Throughout his term he kept his presence of mind without 
being overruled by others. He kept control of his Cabinet in such a 
way that no bad feeling was allowed to be shown, and he succeeded 
in acquiring the mastery of his work to the benefit of all. Though 
often attacked and insulted, no savage word ever escaped Uincoln, 
confirming his own words, “With malice toward none.” As a 


The Lincoln Centennial. 


61 

President he still remained one of the people and would not stand 
aloof like a mighty king. 

He succeeded in preserving the Union and abolishing slavery, earn¬ 
ing his title, “The Emancipator,’’ and leaving his impress upon 
eternity. 


By Fannie Krumhorz. 

A century ago Abraham Lincoln was born in a log-cabin in Ken¬ 
tucky. His parents were uneducated. His mother died from con¬ 
sumption when he was a little boy. His father was an unlearned and 
shiftless farmer and carpenter. 

Many miles away from his home there was held the court at Boon- 
ville. Lincoln walked there often to listen to the lawyers speak. He 
began to be interested, but he continued to work on the farm until he 
was twenty-one years old. He earned money, but gave it to his father 
and mother. 

Many people think Lincoln was very bright as a boy, but he was 
not. He was a learner, an inquirer and a searcher after knowledge. 
He went to school less than a year in all. 

He read a great deal and was influenced by the books. When he 
finished his work on the farm, he would go home and read and prac¬ 
tice writing beside his fire. He would work the sums over and over. 
His patience always helped him succeed. 

He worked on the farm, but he was not interested. He did not 
like this work, so he soon gave up farming. He next got work in a 
grocery store. After that he ran for the Legislature, but he failed 
the first time. Then he fought in the “ Black Hawk War.” 

After this Lincoln became a merchant again. He and a man named 
Berry opened up a store. Lincoln was very honest with the con¬ 
sumers, but their business was a failure because they gave too much 
credit. His life was much more of a success than his living. 

Lincoln did not awake to find himself famous in the first rank of 
the lawyers. He did not care for wealth, but he desired knowledge. 
He relied on the truth always. 

Many brilliant lawyers spoke much better than Lincoln, but he 
spoke convincingly. He always advised his clients to make com¬ 
promises. He is an inspiration to many young men who wish to be¬ 
come lawyers. He stayed in the Illinois Legislature for four years. 
He was not in favor of the people’s having negro slaves. The Legis¬ 
lature were mostly in favor of slaves. He was a good President. He 
never showed that he was proud of his office. He never spoke an un¬ 
kindly word. All over the country the people were blaming him for 



NEW YORK INSTITUTION FOR THE INSTRUCTION OF THE DEAF AND DUMB. 

The Base Ball Team. 





The Lincoln Centennial. 


63 


the trouble, but he did his best. He was a greater man than he was 
a President. He left the world better than he found it. His courage 
helped others. 

His life was a natural development. His success was chiefly due to 
his strong character. He kept the Union and freed the slaves. 


By Carl Lautenberger. 

Beyond all present human conception of poverty and hardship 
were the conditions attending the birth and boyhood of Abraham 
Lincoln, emancipator of the negro slaves in the South and preserver 
of our Union. His home was a log cabin with the ground for a floor. 
His mother, an invalid, inspired a spark of ambition in him, con¬ 
sequently he grasped every opportunity to better himself. His father, 
being an illiterate, shiftless farmer, begrudged the short time 
Lincoln spent at school. 

By doing acts of kindness to the neighbors, Abe was able to get 
books from within several miles’ radius. When the day’s chores 
were done he would pore over them by the flickering firelight. He 
was not naturally bright, but he studied his lessons thoroughly, 
thereby laying the foundation of getting a mastery of facts. 

While he had been at home, he often went to court fifteen miles 
away to listen to the backwoods lawyers argue. Thus he got his 
inspiration of taking up the profession of the law. 

After Lincoln had left home he tried clerking and farming, but 
after a few attempts at each, he gave them up and went into the 
grocery business with another man. Lincoln managed with his 
customary carelessness, permitting it to go to ruin, and owing a 
large sum of money which took him fourteen years to repay. 

He had studied law during his spare moments, and after several 
failures was admitted to the bar. Lincoln also became a member of 
the Illinois Legislature, in which he became very unpopular by 
opposing the law forbidding the establishment of Abolitionist 
societies and upholding the right of possession of slaves as common 
property. Admiring his pluck and courage, the people chose him to 
compete against Stephen Douglas for the Senatorship of Illinois. 
He was defeated, but accepted it without dismay. 

When he finally became President, he was deserted on all sides by 
those who sought to have him elected and who did all they could to 
hinder him in performing his duties. Yet he bore all his burdens 
with calmness and fortitude, trusting in God, and upholding his 
motto : “ With malice towards none ; with charity for all. ” 


6 4 


The Lincoln Centennial. 


In every incident of his life he showed that he was actuated, not by 
selfish motives, but by love and sympathy for humanity. 


By Raymond Layman. 

Abraham Lincoln was born in Kentucky the son of poor parents. 
While still a child his father removed to Ohio and later to Illinois. 

Lincoln’s mother died while he was still a child, but not too soon 
to have instilled the rudiments of education in young Lincoln. 

Lincoln helped his father on his farm till he was a young man, 
and during that time his whole schooling amounted to less than one 
year. 

But Lincoln desired an education, and borrowed books which he 
eagerly studied. 

At the age of twenty-one he left home and worked for a time as a 
a farm hand, became a clerk in a store, joined the Black Hawk War, 
learned and practiced surveying, and then went into partnership in a 
store at New Salem. 

Lincoln had studied law for some time and his store failing, Lin¬ 
coln went to Springfield, where he joined the bar and became a suc¬ 
cessful lawyer. 

As a lawyer Lincoln was distinguished for his incorruptible hon¬ 
esty and utter disinclination to help a client whom he knew wrong. 

Lincoln soon entered politics and served several terms in the legis¬ 
lature and one term in Congress. 

While in Congress Lincoln showed such strong anti-slavery opin¬ 
ions that he was not again nominated. 

But his party remembered his courage, and in 1858 he was chosen 
by the Abolitionists as their champion against Senator Douglas, of 
Illinois. 

Lincoln engaged Senator Douglas in a series of debates that soon 
made him famous, and caused the Republican party to nominate him 
for President two years later, in i860. 

The South feared the consequences of the election of an anti-slavery 
man, like Lincoln, and soon after he became President the Southern 
States began to secede and form a Confederacy. 

Lincoln promptly declared civil war and sent troops to the South to 
preserve the Union at any cost. 

During the next five years of war Lincoln met opposition of all sorts 
and had trouble with his Cabinet and England, but he still acted well 
as President. 

Lincoln’s most famous act is the Emancipation Proclamation set¬ 
ting the slaves free, which he issued in 1863. 


























































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The Lincoln Centennial , 


65 


He was shot in April, 1865, by John Wilkes Booth, a Confederate, 
who was disappointed with the war. 

Lincoln’s tomb is at Springfield, and his life should bean inspira¬ 
tion to other Americans with prospects not better than his were. 


By Katie McGirr [Deaf-Blind]. 

On the twelfth of February, in the year 1809, a little boy named 
Abraham Lincoln was born to very poor parents. His home was a 
wretched log cabin. His mother was a hard-working, delicate 
woman. She tried to inspire her boy with a spark of ambition, but 
she died while he was very young, leaving him so thin that it was 
believed that he had consumption. 

His father was an uneducated farmer, and did not believe in 
having his son instructed, hence Abraham had scarcely any schooling. 
He practised writing on a wooden shovel, doing sums and rubbing 
them out again. He read over and over books that were loaned to 
him, and did odd jobs for the neighbors. 

His mind was not brilliant, he learned very slowly, but he grew to 
be a very kindhearted young man. He was employed in a store, and 
proved honest and faithful. He served in the State Legislature four 
years and then became Member of Congress. He had a hot fight 
with his opponent, Douglas, before the election. 

He denounced the Mexican War as being unnecessary. He 
became a lawyer and always took the cause of the weak. He was an 
honest, generous man, and did what he believed was right. 

He was full of kindness towards the soldiers during the Civil 
War. He was not afraid to speak his mind to others. His patience, 
courage and perseverance led him onward to success. 

He became President when he was fifty years old. Before he died, 
he heard the hisses of the people changed to cheers. He is much 
loved and venerated by all his countrymen. The slaves owe their 
freedom to his Emancipation Proclamation, and one and all ever 
revere his memory. 


By William C. Wren. 

Abraham Lincoln was born in a log-cabin, in Hardin County, Ky., 
February 12th, 1809. His mother died when he was ten years old 
and left him to the care of his father. He endured many privations 
and struggled hard to get an education. He went to school for one 
year during his boyhood, and at night he would practice writing on 

5 


66 


The Lincoln Centennial. 


the wooden fire-shovel with a piece of charcoal. He would never say 
that he knew anything unless he understood it perfectly. 

In his twenty-first year he began to earn a living for himself. He 
was too honest for his own good. When he was twenty-three years 
old, he was a clerk in a grocery store, but he did not like this, and 
decided to study law. For many years he practiced law. 

He did not rise suddenly in the ranks of his chosen profession, 
because he had no knack of keeping his clients in the courts. He 
was the most successful lawyer in America, sixty years ago. He 
relied on the truth, knew a great deal about law, and was not afraid 
to say so. 

He is the inspiration of all who make the honorable profession of 
the law worthy of its name. He served four consecutive terms in the 
Illinois legislature and one term in Congress. He was not regarded 
as a practical politician, or a general candidate. 

During the war with Mexico, when this country was aflame with 
hot feeling, he rose in Congress and denounced the whole affair, 
saying that it was unjustifiable. Lincoln firmly believed that the 
Mexican war was an attempt to add to the boundaries of slavery. 

In 1855, after seven years of law practice, he entered the race for 
United States Senator from Illinois and was elected. Here he had 
many debates with Douglas, but managed to win most of them. He 
did not feel helpless when confronted by new questions, and did not 
allow himself to be diverted by complications. He allowed his ser¬ 
vices full scope in the performance of his duties, even permitting 
encroachments on the dignity of his office. 

In his Cabinet were the great speakers—Stanton, Seward and 
Chase. While Lincoln was surely mastering the duties of his office 
and meeting its responsibilities, his character developed. He was not 
afraid to use his power, but he never abused it. 

There were attacks on him for loss of honor, and deadness to 
shame, and both the North and South were shameless in stinging him 
with abuse and strove to pillory him at every turn, but before he died 
he heard the hisses turn to cheers. 

His achievement is not beyond the power of the humblest in the 
land, and every American must strive to make him his model. 


By Gertrude A. Doenges. 

Abraham Lincoln was born in a log house in Kentucky. He lived 
with his father ana mother, but his mother was delicate and died of 
consumption while he was a little child. His father was very lazy 


NEW YORK INSTITUTION FOR THE INSTRUCTION OF THE DEAF AND DUMB. 

Commencement Day Exercises in the Open Air. 




















68 


The Lincoln Centennial. 


and would not let him go to school and learn. He wanted him to 
work as a carpenter. 

He and his father moved to Illinois. There Lincoln worked hard 
cutting down logs and clearing a farm. He learned from those 
around him and from his own reading and thinking. He often went 
to hear the lawyers speak in court, some distance from his work. 

Abraham Lincoln never finished his education. He was never 
afraid to ask questions. He learned most from the books he read. 
He sometimes read books when he walked to and from his work. He 
would stop to rest, take out his book, and read. He practiced writing 
every night. He was always trying to improve his mind. 

At the age of twenty-four years Abraham Lincoln was not a 
success in life. He farmed until he was twenty-one years old, then 
he clerked in a country grocery store. Lincoln was not happy as a 
grocer, so he gave it up and went to the Black Hawk War. He next 
entered politics. He ran for the legislature, but failed to be elected, 
so he went into the grocery business again. All this time he was 
reading law and dreaming of some day being more than a clerk. 

Lincoln was not a brilliant lawyer all at once. He thought the 
lawyers should tell the truth and make peace. He always tried to 
succeed and he did not care for wealth. He never liked to study law, 
but he enjoyed showing the right path to take. He practiced law for 
twenty-three years. 

When Lincoln was twenty-eight years old, he was elected to the 
Illinois Legislature. It was his first office in politics. He had his 
own ideas and he did not care for other people’s opinions. Lincoln 
joined a society of abolitionists. Most of the other legislators were in 
favor of slaves. 

Lincoln was always a puzzle to office hunters, because he was never 
selfish. His friends knew he always told the truth. So that is how 
he succeeded. He always tried to do what he believed to be right. 

When Lincoln was elected President there was great strife between 
the North and the South. He did not enjoy his success, because the 
country was in war. He did not complain of his duties. He never 
ceased to be one of the people when he became President. 

Lincoln was a great President, but he was a greater man. He 
showed all Americans how to overcome hardships, and that all things 
are possible to him who tries. 

By Hyacinth Dramis. 

The life of Abraham Lincoln is a mystery of natural development 
which continued all through his life. 























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NEW YORK INSTITUTION FOR THE INSTRUCTION OF THE DEAF AND DUMB.—Butts' Drill 























The Lincoln Ceriiennial. 


69 


From boyhood Lincoln came up under great disadvantages. He 
spent all the time working on his father’s farm, seldom going to 
school, yet Lincoln did his best to overcome the disadvantages under 
which he labored. He did not follow his ambition, working at home 
till he was twenty-one years of age. 

From when Lincoln quitted the farm he gave himself to politics. 
He was made a lawyer. Yet Lincoln was never a profound student 
in law, but he had schooled himself on common English laws. This 
occupation Lincoln kept with much honor. He always relied upon 
the truth and was in demand by the people who had confidence that 
he would win their cause. 

During the time before he was made a lawyer, Lincoln had been 
grocer and clerk. In his experience as a clerk he gained the tribute 
of men and the nickname of Honest Abe. As a grocer Lincoln was a 
poor business man and soon he gave up this line of work to follow his 
ambition, which was to bring him in so high a place. In his political 
career Lincoln met with many disappointments and failures. He did 
not get discouraged. These misfortunes gave Lincoln experience and 
knowledge of people, which served Lincoln throughout his whole 
career. 

Despite the fact that Lincoln was fifty years old when he was elect¬ 
ed President, he still showed the moral qualities that had made his 
youth so honored. His daily example of resolution, fortitude and 
patience prevailed during the trouble of his nation, making him ac¬ 
complish great problems for his people. 


By Alfred Joseph Geiger. 

A century has elapsed since the birth of Abraham Lincoln ; myth¬ 
ology and tradition are busy with his memories to translate him to 
the realm of heroes. His great advancement and achievement are 
mysteries to the despair of common mortals. It is impossible to ex¬ 
aggerate conditions against him, as he was born in poverty and had 
occasionally a very poor chance in life and education. 

He never dreamed of his future greatness, but thought of the next 
day as a struggle against poverty. 

But natural poverty discouraged him not. His mother, no doubt, 
had done her utmost to enlighten his hope. 

In his occupations as a farm hand, clerk, and a merchant, he show¬ 
ed no ability. However, he won the influence of the people by his 
honesty and great services. 

He could, however, have bettered^his chances had he followed his 


?o 


The Lincoln Centennial. 


dawning ambition, instead of remaining amid the sorrow, disappoint¬ 
ment and difficulties which found him in his youthful age. 

No doubt, he received his profession in law by listening to and 
watching with rapt attention the mimic dramas of the backwoods law¬ 
yers. 

Neither brilliancy nor learning made him a lawyer, nor had he any 
of a lawyer’s scholarly sense. He schooled himself on the common 
laws of England, and decided that it was no hard task to comprehend, 
and relied on truth and honesty to advance him in the ranks of his 
associates. 

He served four consecutive years in the Illinois Legislature and one 
year in Congress, yet he demonstrated that he was neither a prudent 
nor practical politician. He rose in ranks of his fellow politicians 
which puzzled them. He afterwards declared that the war with Mexi¬ 
co was unjust. The abolition of slavery, which he accomplished, 
won the hearts of the people of the North, who assisted him in this 
cause. 

His honesty, unselfishness, modesty and sincerity won for him the 
Presidency of this great Republic and a place among favored men and 
heroes of the earth. 


By Soria Goerschanek. 

Abraham Lincoln was born in Hardin County, in Kentucky, in 
1809. His parents were very poor and uneducated. His father 
worked a little as a carpenter and as a farmer His mother was a 
good woman and was interested in “Abe’s” education. She died 
when Lincoln was only eleven years old. 

Lincoln was very fond of reading. He borrowed books from all his 
neighbors. He was careful of the books, but he had an accident with 
one of the borrowed books and had to work and pay the damage to 
the book. 

Lincoln went to school one year and he learned very little from his 
schoolmasters. Every night he would write and work arithmetic 
beside the fire. He was ambitious and was very anxious to learn. 

Lincoln worked on the farm helping his father until he was twenty- 
one years old. He did not like farm life, and he went to work as a 
clerk in a country store. He did much better as a clerk than a farm 
hand. 

Lincoln joined the Black Hawk War and tried being a soldier. He 
returned home and went into partnership with a man named John 
Hanks. They had a grocery store, but Lincoln gave people too much 
credit, and their business was not successful. 



NEW YORK INSTITUTION FOR THE INSTRUCTION OF THE DEAF AND DUMB 

Members Day Inspection. 

i and 3. Competition for Russell and Smith Medals. 2. General George Moore Smith and Staff. 





















72 


The Lincoln Centennial . 


Lincoln had heard some lawyers speak in the court, at Boonville, 
when he was a young boy. He decided then that he wanted to be 
lawyer, and read law at night, when he had a store. He was a good 
lawyer. Everyone had confidence in him, because he was honest. 
He was elected to the Legislature of Illinois four times. Then he 
was elected to Congress. 

In i860 Lincoln was chosen President of the United States. The 
country was in great trouble at the time, because the North and 
South were in war. Lincoln freed the slaves and managed the coun¬ 
try well. He was a good President and everyone believed he was do¬ 
ing right for the country. We honor him because he was a good 
President and a great man. 


By Lkna Herscheeifer. 

A century has passed since Abraham Lincoln was born in a log cabin 
in Kentucky. His mother was uneducated and died when he was 
ten years old. He borrowed books from his neighbors and read 
them and improved step by step 

The Red Letter Day of his calendar was when he walked to the 
Circuit Court, at Boonville, fifteen miles from his home. He listened 
with attention to the lawyers’ speeches. There he felt the first desire 
to fit himself for the profession of the law. But he did not feel un¬ 
happy or restless with his own work. He was learning unselfishness 
and how to help others. He was learning to sympathize with those in 
trouble and to appreciate the value of truth. 

Lincoln took no interest in farming and never cared for it, but it 
was necessary for him to do it to keep himself in funds. He was a 
clerk in Offult’s country store and there he did better. Then he 
fought with the Indians in the “ Black Hawk War.” He ran for the 
Legislature but he failed the first time, so he went to work in a store 
again. He was always honest with the customers. 

Lincoln did not wake to find himself a famous lawyer. His appear¬ 
ance was uncouth and he was anything but neat in his habits. He 
always advised a client to compromise. He practiced law for twenty- 
three years, but he was not a brilliant lawyer. He never charged 
much for his services and they were always in demand. 

When Lincoln was twenty-eight years of age, he was elected to the 
Illinois Legislature. That was his first office in politics. He was not 
a prudent politician. He joined the society of Abolitionists, but most 
of the other Legislators were in favor of slaves. He was opposed to 
the Mexican War, because he did not want slavery carried there. 


NEW YORK INSTITUTION FOR THE INSTRUCTION OF THE DEAF AND DUMB. 

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74 


The Lincoln Centennial. 


, When Lincoln was elected President there was great strife between 
the North and South. He did not enjoy his success as President, be¬ 
cause the country was in trouble. While he was President, he had 
great questions to solve. He did not complain of his duties and he 
was always kindly in his feelings and gave good advice to all who 
asked it All the country was blaming him for their trouble, but 
afterwards they saw he was doing his best. He left the world better 
than he found it. He showed all Americans that the best thing to do 
in this world is to try to help others. 

Lincoln’s success was chiefly due to his strong character. The 
greatest thing Lincoln did for his country was to preserve the Union 
and to free the slaves. His example as a man is the great legacy he 
left to Americans. 

By Luciele C. Lefi. 

Abraham Lincoln was born in Kentucky, in 1809. His parents 
were very poor His mother died when he was a young boy. He 
tried to help himself get an education. His neighbors were interested 
in him because he was smart. They lent him books to read. He 
went to the court fifteen miles from his home and heard the lawyers 
speak. He was interested in them and he decided to become a lawyer. 

Lincoln never finished his education. He was never afraid of asking 
questions. Sometimes he read the books in the woods. He always 
told the truth and tried to discover it in all things. 

As a workman he was not a success. His boss did not like him, be¬ 
cause he stopped work to read books. He worked as a clerk in the 
country store. He was always very honest. He weighed things 
correctly and gave good measure. Now he was discouraged in his 
work, so he went to the Black Hawk War and fought. He ran for 
the Legislature in Illinois and he was defeated the first time. 

Then he became a merchant again. He was very much discouraged 
in his work. He had 110 idea of becoming a lawyer. All the time he 
was quietly reading law, and preparing for his political life. 

Lincoln did not awake to find himself a brilliant lawyer. He be¬ 
lieved that the lawyer should be honest. He begged his clients to 
make peace with each other. He did not like to study law but he 
loved the principles. He practiced law for twenty-three years. 
There were more eloquent lawyers than Lincoln in Illinois, but he was 
so sincere he never surrendered his principles to any rule. He is an 
inspiration to all who go into law. 

When Lincoln was twenty-eight years of age, he was elected to the 
Illinois Legislature. That was his first office in politics. He was not 
a careful politician. 





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The Lincoln Centennial. 


Lincoln was opposed to the Mexican War, because he thought that 
slaves would be carried into Mexico. He did not want that. 

Lincoln was a puzzle to office hunters. He was nevcx self-interested. 
His friends knew that he always told the truth. His failures made 
him more careful. 

When Lincoln was elected President, there was a great war between 
the North and the South. He did not enjoy his success while he was 
President. He was always very cool and never complained of his 
duties. 

Lincoln was a good President. He was never too proud to be one 
of the people. When he was President, he was always kind to the 
people and gave good advice to all. He never spoke a savage word. 

Lincoln was a great President, but he was a greater man. His life 
is a great inspiration. His success was due to his character. The 
greatest thing Lincoln did for his country was to preserve the Union 
and to free the slaves. He left us a great inspiration by his noble 
example of truthfulness and courage. 


By Sarah Prager. 

A century ago, Abraham Lincoln was born in poverty and desola¬ 
tion. He was born in a cabin with a floor made of hard earth. His 
parents were poor. His mother was very delicate. She died while 
Abraham was a young boy. She was devoted to him and he grieved 
about her death. He was fond of reading books. He had no books 
but he borrowed from his neighbors. Lincoln was contented to im¬ 
prove slowly. He wanted to become a lawyer because he had often 
heard the lawyers speak in the court, at Boonville. But he lived on 
the farm and worked with his father until he was twenty-one years of 
age. 

Lincoln had poor schooling. His education was never finished 
because he was always ready to learn. He was not afraid of asking 
questions. He was never too dignified to admit that he did not 
know. He was not fond of study as a boy, but he saw the need of an 
education. 

When Lincoln was elected President, there was a great strife 
between the North and the South. He did not enjoy his success as 
President, because the country was in war. He was a good Presi¬ 
dent, because he completely mastered his work. When he became 
President, he never forgot to give good advice to all who asked it. 
He never spoke a savage word. He was over fifty years of age when 
he became President, and his record was up to that time largely due 


NEW YORK INSTITUTION FOR THE INSTRUCTION OF THE DEaE AND DUM±>. 

On thb Playground. 










78 


The Lincoln Centennial. 


to his fine moral character. It was Lincoln’s daily example of 
resolution, fortitude and patience, which saved the-Union. He had 
great self-control. He gave some wonderful pages to history. 

We honor him because he was a good President and a great man. 


By Solomon Zimmerman. 

Abraham Lincoln was born in Hardin, Ky., February 12th, 1809, 
in a log cabin, which was exactly like a barn. It was not luxurious, 
having only one window without glass, and neither wooden fioor nor 
good pieces of furniture. 

His mother died when he was a child about ten years old, and he 
was left in his father’s charge. He went to school for one year, but 
it seemed to him as if he had learned nothing at all. Every night 
after hard work, he spent most of his time studying and reading 
with great care so as to get an education. Indeed he studied with 
difficulty, but, luckily, he could be patient He would never give up 
anything that he read that puzzled him. He stayed at home and 
gave the benefit of his services to his family until the age of twenty- 
one had been reached- While remaining there, he had earned prac¬ 
tically nothing for himself for the future. 

At the age of twenty-three he secured a position as clerk in a gro¬ 
cery store, but soon got tired of this, and decided to study law. He 
studied law very carefully for several years, and afterward he became 
a most honest and successful lawyer, and made many great speeches. 
He was devoted to politics, and became an extraordinarily successful 
politician. In the Illinois Legislature he served four consecutive 
terms during his early days. During one term that he served in Con¬ 
gress, he was not considered a “ practical” politician. He had cour¬ 
age, which the people liked. For this reason he was picked as their 
leader against Douglas. With the latter he had many hot debates 
and managed to win some of them. 

At the time of the war with Mexico, it was feared that an attempt 
would be made to increase slavery. Lincoln was so touched with sor¬ 
row that he determined to abolish slavery entirely, and he did so a 
few years later. 

As he met the responsibilities of his office, his character developed 
strongly. He was not afraid to use his power to do the things which 
he thought to be right. 

Before he was nominated for President, it was never thought that 
there was any chance for him to attain this high postition, but through 


The Lincoln Centennial. 


79 


honest devotion to duty, he was unanimously elected. He was assas¬ 
sinated in a theatre. His death caused great sorrow all over the 
world. 


By H. H. Brauer. 

On February 12th, 1809, Abraham Lincoln was born in Kentucky. 
The cabin, in which he was born, was surrounded by a wilder¬ 
ness and it was lonely to the point of desolation. Lincoln’s mother 
died when he was a little boy. His father would not let him attend 
school. The only effort he made to improve his son’s education was 
a half-hearted attempt to teach him carpentry. His father hired him 
to other farmers who were in need of extra hands. The poor boy did 
not complain, but worked patiently. He was full of inspiration and 
saw a vision of coming greatness. He never hurried at anything. 
People took an interest in this unselfish boy and they loaned him their 
books. He read through these volumes by the light of his father’s 
fire. He was very thoughtful and eager for knowledge and was never 
afraid of asking questions. His reading was directed by opportunity 
rather than selections. He was not a bright boy, but a patient one. 
His mind matured very slowly. He looked honestly and fairly on all 
sides of every question. 

Lincoln’s early manhood was a failure from the material point of 
view, and at the age of twenty-four years he found himself far from 
success. He disliked farming, though he never complained while he 
was at it. At twenty-three he was a clerk in a country store. On 
this work he did better than as a farm hand. To break the monotony 
of his life he joined the Black Hawk War, but soon returned to take 
up the duties of a merchant. 

He was not a success as a business man, for his heart was not in 
that kind of work. He was reading law and educating himself while 
his business was going to rack and ruin. He is the support and 
inspiration of all who desire to make the honorable profession of the 
law worthy of its name. He served four terms in the Illinois Legis¬ 
lature during his early years and one in Congress. During his 
experience as an office holder, he was not regarded as a practical 
politician. Lincoln’s career was politically foreshadowed. 

The Mexican war was probably an attempt to extend the boun¬ 
daries of slavery, so Lincoln strongly opposed it He re-entered the 
field to contest for the United States Senatorship, and was finally 
selected to run against Douglas in the great contest for the Illinois 
Senatorship. 


8o 


'1 he Lincoln Centennial. 


In i860, Lincoln found himself President of the United States. 
He was not allowed to enjoy a moment of peace during his adminis¬ 
tration. His practice in the courts had thoroughly familiarized him 
with his profession, and long before he encountered them in his Cabi¬ 
net, he met Stanton, Seward and Chase. The mastery of his work 
was done slowly, but he was not afraid to use his power. He was a 
great President, but he was a greater man. He achieved great suc¬ 
cess through his devotion to duty and his absolute honesty in all his 
dealings with men. 



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